18" Wheels vs 17"

[VR4Me]

Ok, I am going to replace the stock 18" wheels on my VR-4 with 17" 245-45-17 tires/wheels. I am told this will make the car handle better and get a softer ride. I hear the 18" wheels are only for a larger, bigger fit. Any comments on my doing this? Thanks!

[HKmitsubishiman]

Well, if I were you, I would go for another set of 18s. Because I think if you want to get new rims, it's the best to get the rims that are 1 more inch than the stock rims size. So if it's your case, it will be 19, but I think 19s are too big for 3000gt. So I think it's better to keep the size as 18". But that's just what I think. And yes, I do think that the 17s do give you a softer ride, but not sure about handling better. Everybody increase the rims sizes when they get new rims, but I've never seen anyone decrease the size. But this is just my opinion. What do you guys think?

[talskinyguy]

18's handle better than 17's because sidewall is smaller, so it cant flex as much in turns, however the difference is negligable. The 17's will make your car faster, less rotational mass. I cut around 6 lbs per wheel going with 17's vs 18's.

[Igovert500]

I'd go with 5Zigen 18" rims, they are 17lbs, vs the stock 35ish lbs chrome 18s. Your handling will be good, you'll free up some more hp with the weight savings on rotational mass, and you wont add more to the huge wheel gap you already have.

[talskinyguy]

The stock wheels are at most 20lbs for the 17's and 25 for the 18's. But there is no way they are any more than that. And the 17's wont add to the wheel gap, because the tires will have a bigger sidewall. So the overall size is the same.

IMO 18's look better, but 17's were more practical for me
18x8.5 or 9.5 5zigen fno1rc wheels = $900 for a set @ 19lbs each
17x9 5zigen fno1rc wheels = $650 for a set @ 16lbs each
Tires for the 18's = $900 @ 32lbs each (lightest tires i could find)
Tires for the 17's = $600 @ 25lbs each (ditto)

Also keep in mind that the 18's rotational mass is farther from the center than the 17's. And as an added bonus I can abuse the tires a little more without worrying about the wheels as much(i.e. pot holes)

[YogsVR4]

I know the five spoke chrome rims from my 95 weigh 23.5 pounds - I sold a couple and thats what they weighed for shipping (I'm sure the box was a half pound of it). I don't know how much more the six spokers weighed, but 18s do look better on our cars.













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[azn3000GTRacer]

what web site can i got to to look at rims

[GrungeAholicVR4]

Im about to make a rim change myself this week, Im going to 17" by 8" diameter, They are hella lightwieght and plus, #1 less rotational mass than my 18" chrome heavy fucks, and #2 smaller diameter means faster rotations and quicker acceleration, its basically like doing a mild gearing increase for larger gears, it makes your car faster 1/4 mile times, but your top end will suffer slightly, not bad at all with the 18 to 17 switch like im doing, if you were going to 16's....top end would suck.

[Yaggus]

im sorry, but i dont get how having smaller rims makes you accelerate faster. for example if you have 17" rims and 5" think tyres then the total diameter is 22". if you have 18" rims and 4" thick tyres then your total diameter is still 22". i thought you had to keep te same overall diameter the same otherwise your speedo and odo would be thrown out.

that may be a noob question but i really dont get it.

[YogsVR4]

There a few reasons why it'll help the car go faster. The rubber in that is taking up the space the rim used to be in (that 1" of diameter) will weigh a few pounds less. Not only is the weight decreaed but you also reduce the rotational mass (unsprung force) that the engine needs to get spinning. Larger rims have more inertia because the rotating mass is further from the center of the tire. More hp is wasted just to overcome the tires increased inertia.













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[GrungeAholicVR4]

Originally Posted by YogsVR4

There a few reasons why it'll help the car go faster. The rubber in that is taking up the space the rim used to be in (that 1" of diameter) will weigh a few pounds less. Not only is the weight decreaed but you also reduce the rotational mass (unsprung force) that the engine needs to get spinning. Larger rims have more inertia because the rotating mass is further from the center of the tire. More hp is wasted just to overcome the tires increased inertia.

WERD ( . )( . )

[HKmitsubishiman]

Wow

[azn3000GTRacer]

You know talking about less rotaional mass from a 17" from a 18" yes proably make your car quicker but you wont even noticed, It would make your car faster maybe by 1000th of a second. Only way your gonna see a huge diffrence is from the weight not from the size. You can stick 13inch rims on a VR4 and compare it to the 18's And you have the same person driving it in a 1/4 mile you might just might see a 100th of a second faster.....So dont think ur gonna get a huge perforamnce boost by going smaller rims. PLUS 18 looks so much better hell 20 inch on a VR4 would look pimp.

[azn3000GTRacer]

oh yea that's why they invented low profiles so you can get bigger rims with the same rotational mass

[Yaggus]

Originally Posted by azn3000GTRacer

oh yea that's why they invented low profiles so you can get bigger rims with the same rotational mass

yeah thats what i was thinking. if you use low profile tyres then you would have the same rotational mass then would nt you?

yogs, you said:

"Not only is the weight decreaed but you also reduce the rotational mass (unsprung force) that the engine needs to get spinning. Larger rims have more inertia because the rotating mass is further from the center of the tire. More hp is wasted just to overcome the tires increased inertia"

i get the whole less weight part. that makes sense. but, when you are saying that the smaller rims have les rotational mass. i dont get that still. if the total diameter of the tyres is the same size on both the 17"s and the 18"s then wouldnt the rotational mass be the same? like what anz3000GTRacer said.

thanks for the explanation so far tho